Improvement in magnetic printing-telec raphs



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R. E. HOUSE.

PRINTING TBLBGRAPH.

Patented Dec( 28, 1852.

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R, E. HOUSE.

PRINTING TELEGRAPH.

No. 9,505. Patented DeoL 28, 1852.

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4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

R. E. HOUSE. PRINTING TELEGRAPH.

N0. 9,505. Patented 1360.28, 1852.

UNITED STATES E. E. HOUSE, or

PATENT OFFICE.

NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN MAGNETIC PRIN'TINGsTELEGRAPHS.

Specilication forming part of Letters Patent No. 9.505, dated December 28, 1852.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROYAL E. HOUSE, of the city ot' New York, in the United States ot America, have invented and discovered new and useful apparatus, methods and means 4of printing as fast as the types are selected by the compositor, which I call Houses Gomposing PxixitingPress, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description ot' the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Plate I is a perspective view ofthe machine. Plate II, Figures I7 and 18 are elevation and plan. Plate III, Figs. l to 9 are parts in detail. Plate IV, Figs. l() to 16 are also. parts in detail.

Similar letters' will refentomsimilar parts throughout unless otherwise specially noted.

The nature ot' my invention and improvement consists in certain machinery for composing and printing at the same time and at one opera-tion, which machinery, when corn binedwith electrical or galvanic apparatus, is capable of eiiecting the operation of immediately printing any characters which may be selected by the compositor, even though the printing-press be removed to a distance from the composingmachine; and Itherefore I design by the use of certain electrical apparatus as improved by me to apply, among other things, the said machinery to the publishing messages in ordinary typography, and also signalizing messages'at great distances as means of communicating intelligence.

Included in my said .composing printingpress are several parts which are described by me in my Letters Patent dated the 18th day ot' April, 1846, and which I shall include in the following description, and then point out and define the new parts for which I now seek Letters Patent.

My composing printing-press, as adapted and employed to print at a distance from the comY positor, for commupicating intelligence to distant places by using a current of electricity or galvanism, may be better understood by being described under four general divisions of parts.

The first division consists of .machinery and Aapparatus placed at the station from which the intelligence is to be transmitted, andwhich is employed in breaking and closing a circuit of electric or galvanic conductors and detaining the same either broken or closed, and which I call the composing-machine.

The second division consists of electrical or galvanic apparatus for producing a current of electricity or galvanism to connect the composing-machine with a pneumatic apparatus in such manner as to secure an intermittent action ofthe force of compressed air in the desired direction.

The third division consists ot' a pneumatic apparatus connecting the electrical apparatus with the printing machinery, and combining the force of compressed air or steam or other like substance with magnetic force. The fourth division consists of the machinery used for printing, to be located at the station -Whereth'e vintelligence is to be received, and

which I call theprinting-machine. 7

The composing-machine, for greater clearness ot description, may be divided into two parts, which I will describe as the first and the second partsrof the composing-machine.

The first part consists of a set or system ot' detaining Jlinger-keys similar to the fingerkeys described in my Letters Patent above mentioned, except that I now arrange themin a double row, more like the keys of a pianoforte. Fig. 1 0, Plate IV, is a plan of the keys, and

shaft under the keys, each keyhavinga spring under it to raise it up after being depressed, and each key has a detentcatch,z, on its under side. Ihe letters or characters correspond, ing with those to be printed or represented are formed upon the tops of the keys,(one on each key) as seen in Plate I. v

The second part of the composing-machine consists of a shaft, Z,\Figs. '10, 12, and`20, placed under the set of, keys, and having projecting from its surface small detent-pins y, (one for eaph key,) which maybe arranged in any convenient form upon the shaft; but I prefer arranging them in two spiral rows. On one end of the shaft may be a cog-wheel substantially like that described in my said Letters Patent, containing half as many cogs as the number of letters or characters to be printed or represented, and of course an equal number of spaces between the cogs, making the spaces `and cogs together eq'ual to such number of characters or letters, and so adjusted that.I each space and cog will have a corresponding detent-pin and detaining-key. Said Fig. ll is a sectional view of keys and the wheelforms one pole of the circuit of' conductors, and the other pole is connectedwith the cogs of said wheel, so that the pole of the conductor connected with thecogs will alternately come in contact with each cog and pass through or over cach space between the co s as the shaft and wheel revolve. This parto the apparatus may be varied by having on the end of the shaft a cog-wheel adapted yto carry a pinion and shaft on which is a segment of a wheel connected with one ot the poles of the circuit of conductors. Fig. 12 is a front elevation of the shaft, showing the spiral rowsof detcntpins.. Fig. 13 is an end view of the cogwheel, pinion, and segment of awheel, e being the pinion, and b' being the segment of a wheel. Fig. 14 is a plan et' the same, together with the end of the circuit ot conductors o. This cog-wheel and pinion are so made that the pinion and its shaft, and consequently the segment, will revolve fourteen times while the keyshaft and its wheel revolves once and the pole of the conductor cis made to slightly spring and come into contact with the segment each time it revolves, and thus the circuit of conductors will be broken fourteen times and closed fourteen at cach revolution of the key shaft. Another way of arranging the appuratus for breaking and closing the circuit is to attach to the pinionshat't above described, by an eccentric joint, a rod, d', Figs. 15 and 16, and the opposite end of the rod to come in contact with the pole of the conductor e', so that as the pinion c revolves therodis brought into contact with the pole e and separated from it, the pole e' being provided with a spring for the rod to act against.

The object of this composing-machine is to produce a continuous and uniform breaking and closing of ,the circuit, and also to enable a compositor ci operator to detain the circuit in a broken or closed condition at his option. This object is accomplished in the manner described in my before-mentioned Letters Paten t, or by means of the modifications shown in Figs. 13, 14,15, 16, which are mechanical equivalents for this arrangement.

The second general division consists of a circuit of insulated electric or galvanic conductl ors, a galvanic battery or other known generator ofelectricity or galvanism, an electro-magnetic apparatus, which I call the combination electro-magnet, and a valve, which I call the balance-valve. The new parts of this division consist of the construction and use of the combination electroemagnet and the balance-valve. A Aoi` Fig. 1 Plate III, is a section of the comA` bination electro-magnet, which is constructed thus: Within a case, A A, vwhich may be a tube, and made of any suitable material, except such as will become magnetizcd by a current of electricity or galvanism, X a series of hollow cy lindrical pieces of iron, c--say about three-quarters of an inch long and of such diameter as to setsnug in the case. These I call the xed magnets. They should be a short distance a vertical section.

apart-say about half an inch-land about one tenth of an inch thick. One endsay theupper endof each of these xed magnets should be partially incloscd by an end piece, leaving a small hole in it to admit a rod, c, of any suitable material which rwill not become megnetized by a current of electricity or galvanism. This nets may come in contact with an upper end` of a fixed magnet. Strung uponthe rod between the movable magnets are washers, sepa rating them and covering those parts of the rod which pass through theupper ends of the fixed magnets. These washers should consist of material 'not susceptible of becoming magnetic by a current of electricity. 'When thus constructed and arranged the case A is to be placed within a helix or coil of insulated wire, substantially in the usual manner ot' making the coil around iron to forni an electro-magnet. The rod carrying the movable magnets is to play easily up and down. Thus finished, it will be obvious to those acquainted with the science .that such a magnet combines repulsion and attraction. Thus, when a current of electricity or galvanism traverses the coil or helix of wire,

' both the fixed magnets and the movable magnets become magnetized, when the lower enlarged ends of the movable magnets and the upper ends of the fixed magnets will attract each other, and also that these forces-attraction and repulsion-both act in theproper direction to cause the movable magnets to approach the upper ends of the fixed magnet; and hence,

by this combination magnet, of which I claim to be the rst inventor and discoverer, I secure a great advantage in the acquisition of power.

To the end of the rod eextendin g above the case is attached a fixture which I-call a circular baly ance-valve, of which Bis a front View and C This valve is made in the form of a short hollow cylinder, having threenarrow grooves cut in the outer circumference, as clearly shown, andwith holes through its side from the bottom of each of the two end grooves, as shown. This valve moves in a cylindrical case within the valve-chamber E.

The third general division, which I call the pneumatic apparatus, consists of cylinders, pipes, or tubes, piston, escapement, and airpuxnp, arranged as a means of using the force of air in any system of transmitting intelligence. These parts (except the air-pump, which may be of an ordinary form, and which is too well known to require a drawing) are best shown by Figs. 2 and 3, Plate III. A pipe, D, to conduct air, extends from an air-pump and enters the valve-chamber E, and pipes F and G extend from either side of the valve-chamber and communicate with the ends of a cylinder, H. This contains a light hollow piston, d, made as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and having a groove,

d, around it to receive theend of alever, h, attached to an escapement, which it moves. The manner in which these several parts are connected is more clearly shown in Plates I and II, and the operation of this apparatus will be that the piston in the cylinder H will be made to move back and forth by the air passing through F and G, those pipes being rendered alternately inject-ion and exhaust pipes by the action oflthe valve in E in a manner common ,to reciprocating engines. The operation of the escapeinent as acting on the type-wheel is the same as set forth in my Letters Patent before lquoted.

The fourth general division is descriptive of the printing-press, and for greater clearness may be described in three parts.

The first part consistsof a type-wheel, signaldisk, spring-pulley, 85o. The type-wheel is constructed snbstantiallya-s described in my said Letters Patent, except that the escapementteeth are formed upon afian ge, whichisattached to the wheel to admit of being more easily replacedwhen worn out. The type-wheel is shown at R in Fig. 5, and the position it occupies in the machine is shown in Figs. 18 and 20. Toward the vend of the shaft on which the type-wheel revolves is a sheath, i, Figs. 5 `and 17, through which the type-shaft runs, and on this sheath is a pulley, j, to which the power is applied which propels the type-wheel. \Vithin this pulley is a spring, lc, similar to a clock-sprin g, one end,bcing attached to the shaft I and the other end resting against theinsidc of the pulley, and so adjusted that the type-wheel and its shaft is carried only by the friction ofthe detached end of the spring bearing against 'the inside of thepulley, and that when the motion ofthe typewheel is arrested the spring will acquire greater tension and accelerate the starti ngof the wheel when it shall be again liberated. The shaft I is prolonged above the table or stand, as represented by the dotted lines in Fig. 17, and

on it, near the top, is placed a disk, as is also 'represented by dotted lines in said Fig. 17, with letters, blank, and period on the outer circumference corresponding with the letters, biank, and period on the type-wheel. This disk may be covered by a cap or case with a hole in the front, through which a letter-as,

say, H--is shown, as in Figs. 17 and Q0.

`The second part of the fourth general division is that portion which causes the paper to approach and recede from the types atthe proper times, and the paper also to advance after each letter is printed, together with the apparatus for supplying the coloring-matter, and which is propelled by a power distinct from the other parts. This part consists of the upright shaft l, Figs. 6 and 7, with its friction apparatus, connecting-rod with its eccentric, toothed cylinder and its several springs, ratchet-wheel and pawls, and the endless band and xtures for supplying the coloring-matter. A portion of the shaft I is inclosed in a sheath carrying a pulley, m, to which the, propelling power is connected, so that the shaft I" is moved by the friction of the sheath in the same manner as described for carrying the type wheel. This shaft extends a short distance above the table, having an eccentric, u on fits upper end, as shown in Figs. 7,18, and 20. To this eccentric one end of a connecting-rod, n, Figs. 8,18, and 20, is attached. The other end extends horizontally across and beyond the type-wheel and operates nponthe shaft upon which the small upright toothed cylinder K play-s, as shown in Figs. 17 and 20. This toothed-cylinder shaft is supported at the lower end by an arm, o, Fig. 17, attached to a vibrating post, o. Bythis arr-an gement itwill be observed that the toothed cylinder K is caused to approach and recede from the type-wheel at each revolution ofthe shaft Il and eccentric u. On the toothed cylinder K, near the lower end,'is a ratchet-wheel, p, tseen in dotted lines in. Fig. 18,) with a suitable pawl, p', and spring, to cause the toothed cylinder to revolve the distance desired to have left as a space between the letters to be printed at each advance and recession of the toothed cylinder K. The modes of arranging the ratchets and springs are so various and simple as to require no detailed description. The toothed cylinder K must be slightly fastened where the letters are printed. For this purpose an arm, L, Figs. 17, .18, 20, is placed in a horizontal position, turning on a joint sufficiently to vibrate a short distance. The detached end comes between the toothed cylinder K and the type-wheel, a slot beingcut through the said arm opposite the types-.sufficient to admit a type through. 0n the side of this arm opposite the toothed cylinder is a spring, q, to hold the arm up to the toothed cylinder, the arr'n having,in addition, two small vgrooves for the teeth to pass through as the toothed cylinder revolves. An endless band, (seen at q2, Figs. 18 and 20,) charged with plumbago or other suit-able coloring-matter, runs around the toothed cylinder K at one end and a roller at the other, the direction being such as to cause said band to pass between the toothed cylinder and the detached end of said arm L. The ribbon of paper on which the printing is to be done is to pass through between the endless band and the said arm, as shown at g3, Fig. 18. Thus arranged, the arm L holds the paper and band against the teeth of the cylinder, so that as the cylinder revolves the teeth carry forward both the band and paper 5 and when the cylinder is caused to approach lthe types, as above described, it carries with it the arm L, the hand, and the paper. The paper is thus pressed against the type through the slot in the arm, making a corresponding pressure ofthe paper upon the prepared band, by which a distinct letter is printed on the side of `the paper next the band and opposite the type.

ing the wire.

The third part of the fourth general division is the detaining apparatus for regulating the motion or action of the second part ofthe fourth general division, and consists of a shaft, M, (shown in detail in Fig. 9,) having attached to the upper end a disk, 1, with flanges projecting up from its outer edges. This disk carries afriction-cap, s, which sets in it, the shaft and cap having the position shown in Figs. 1S and 20. This cap has a rim or flange, t; on the upper side, extending, say, about two-thirds the distance around the cap. The ends of this rim or flange act as detents, and pins inserted in its upper surface would subserve a similar purpose. The shaft I, Fig. 7, carries a detentarm, u, Figs. 7, 1S, and 20, which acts upon the ends of this ilange t, so that as the shaft I revolves said detent-arm rst takes the shoulder l, Fig. 18, and remains in that position till the friction-cap s is a little turned, when it slips oft' of the shoulder 1 and takes upon the shoulder 2. The shaftM and disk r being propelled by means of a pulley, not shown in the drawings, as it is situated below the table,) its tendency is to carrythe friction-cap s around so as to hold the detent-arm upon the shoulder 1 and to liberate it from the shoulder 2. A small arm, e, projects from the friction-cap, and this extends over the type-wheel, and is acted upon by the row of teeth or pins s", Figs. 18 and 20, on the type-wheel, corresponding in number with the number of letters or characters to be printed or represented. The action of these teeth upon said arm turns the frictioncap, notwithstanding the tendency of the friction to carry it the' other way, until the detent-arm u is released from the shoulder 1 and takes against the shoulder 2. The cap will then be kept in this position by the same action of said teeth so long as the type-wheel continues to revolve; but on the type-wheel being stopped the cap s will be carried back by the friction, the arm c falling against the tooth next backof it, im-

mediately liberating the detent-arm u from the shoulder 2, and the eccentric-shaft I" will revolve, carrying the connectingrod n and causin g the paper to approach and recede from the type, as before described. The rod e, Fig. 1, attaching the movable magnets and valve B, extends u p from the air-valve and is attached to a delicate wire thread, N, Figs. 17 and 20, which is stretched tightly in a frame, P, by screws, and the screw wis for'raising or lower- To the lower end of the case is attached a screw and nut, x, Fig. 17, to raise `and lower the case A and iixed magnets, by

which means the relative position of the fixed and movable magnets can be easily adjusted. The movable magnets should not be allowed to quite touch the 'xed magnets.

ln using my said composing printing-press to print at such distances from the compositor, as it can be done by dispensing with electricity and using long pipes to conduct the air, the cogs of the wheel on the key-shaft described above for breaking and closing the circuit of electric or galvanic conductors are made to carry a pinion so adjusted as to revolve fourteen times while the key'shaft revolves once. The valve B is connected with'the pinion-shaft by a connecting-rod with either a cam or eccentric. The connection may also be made by clock-work, so as to cause the-valve to descend fourteen times and ascend fourteen times every revolution cf the key-shaftr The above modification is to be used when I connect the printing-machine with the valve B by long pipes to conduct the air, and when the valve B is to be near the composing-ma chine, or in ease the printing is to be done at the saine place or in the same room where the composing-machine isl stationed, the valve B and pneumatic apparatus may,in certain cases, be dispensed with and the key-shaft connected by any suitable mechanical device with the escapement to cause it to vibrate fourteen times each way at every revolution of the key-shaft; or the key-shaft may be connected more directly with the type-wheel by a connecting-rod or t other contrivance, so that the type-wheel willv be stopped as often as the key-shaft; or the type-wheel itself may be placed upon the keyshaft. 1

In using steam instead of air in operating my said composing printing-press no essential alteration of the mechanism is necessary, except substituting any knowri generator of steam instead of the air-pump and connecting therewith the pipe D to conduct the steam into the valve-chamber, when it will pass through the various passages similarly to the air, as described; but from experience I have found the use of air preferable to that of steam.

In operating my said composing printingpress it is necessary that both the type-wheel and key-shaft should start from the same letter or character in order that they may keep time with each other thereafter. I use a blank on the type-wheel and a corresponding detent finger-key and pin on the key-shaft as the starting-points; and in case of printing at dista-nt places as a means of communicating intelligence some means is necessary by which the operators'at the respective stations can start' their respective machines at these points. For this purpose a spring and key, g', of Fig. 18 is so'arranged that by moving the key with the finger it takes into a stop on the type-wheel 'and stops it at blankJ By pressing down the blank deten-t finger-key the key-shaft will also be stopped at i blank.

.To regulate the machines the operators interchange signals in any preconcerted manner by means of the electric current, and each stops his machine at blank by the use of the above-named keys. Both are then librated,

first the type-wheel and then the key-shaft, and the machines then run with regularity.

The transmission of intelligence and the printing of it are as follows:

The type-wheel of the distant printing-ma; chine is at blank, and the key-shaft in electri cal connection with itis' at blank also. Both the type-Wheel and the key-shaft are in'rotary motion and a current of air is being propelled through the machine from the air-pump, entering by the pipe D. The inking-band q and the strip of paper are in order, as described, to receive the pressure of a type when ready to be given. The key-shaft, in revolving, breaks and closes the circuit fourteen times in one revolution; the magnet vibrates a like number ot` times; the piston d and the escapement h the same, producing one revolution of the type-wheel, when both the type-wheel and keyshaft stand in the same relative positions-viz., at d blank.77 If, now, the eighth letter, H,of the al phabetis tobe printed on the distant machine, press down keyy H. The key-shaft continues to revolve until the eighth detent-pin' comes opposite to the stop. The type-wheel, having kept equal time in its revolution with the key-shaft, stops at the same instant, because the breaking or closing of the circuit immediately arrests the vibration of the magnet, and of course the escapement with it. The place where the type-Wheel is stopped is Where the letter H-is opposite to the shaft K, and consequently just i Where it should be to givethe pressure upon the inked band, and thus produce the impression of H upon the paper, as has been described. At' the same instant the disk S slightly vibrates and moves the stop 1 upon it, whereby the lever u is released and flies round by the revolution of l", the crank a" moving to such a position as to bring back the shaft n,

which carries and forces the cylinder it, moving the paper and inking-band up against the type H, thus making an impression. moment this is done the disk S moves back to its original position. Thelever u dies round and is caught as before. rlhe shaft n carries the paper clear of the type .by moving back again the cylinder K. In doing this the pawl p' plays in the ratchet p, moving it round one notch. This carries on the paper and inkingband and spaces the distance apart of the letters. It must be borne in mind that the key must be held down until the letter is formed, not being released until the next key is depressed for the printing of the next letter. lf l is to be printed, it will be effected by either breaking or closing the circuit. It HK was formed by closing the circuit, then i will be formed by breaking it, and the key `Will hold the key-shaft so that the circuit-Wheel is at a space. rlhe magnet immediately rises-that is, makes onevibration--litting the air-valve so that air will press upon the opposite side of the piston d and move the escapement one, notch, and thus permit the type-Wheel to move the distance required to bringthe next letter viz., I-to the place before occupied by H the impression 'being givento it as before. If the `next to' be printed is six letters ofi, the circuit- Wheel moves three spaces and three cogs, thereby breaking and closing the electric current that number of times, producing a like number of vibrations, Aand each vibration countingfora letter. Thus,it` the letter B were printed, and it were necessary7 to" print A next, there would be'a number of vibrations equal to the whole alphabet, less one but from A to Y B there would be but one.

The printing-machine shown in Fig. 20 is not necessarily connected with the keys in the manner shown, butis connected with another set of keys froma distance. However, as but one conductor is ordinarily used, the keys to each machine operate on both presses. Thisis useful, as by means of the disk placed upon the type-wheel shaft, having letters printed upon it to match those on the type-wheel, as shown at H, the operator can Watch for errors or de rangements between the two.

W'hat I claim as my own invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The employmentof electromagnetic force in combination with the force of a current ot air or other tluid, so that the action `ot' the former governs 0r controls the action of the latter, for the purpose described.

2. The construction of the electro-magnet, as described-that is to say, a series of ixed magnets in combination with a series of moveable magnets arranged upon a central axis, which axis plays between or through the line of fixed magnets so4 as to effect a vibratory The movement ot said axis by a force multiplied by the number of magnets of both kinds.

3. The combination of an electro-magnet with the Valve for regulating and directing` the force of a current ot' air or otherjiuid acting as a motive power upon the piston or other analogous device for producing a vibratory motion, as described.

4. The endless bandin combination with the cylinder K, as an inking-machine for conveying and applying the coloring-matter to the paper at the moment oi' receiving the impression from the types, as described.

5. rlhe combination of the regulating-bar g with the type-wheel, for the purpose of regulating the proper position said Wheelshould have in connection with a given position of the key-shaft at the moment of printing any letters orocharacters, the whole being combined and operating substantially as herein set forth.

ROYAL E. HOUSE.

Witnesses:

S. EHMAYNABD, THOMAS H. Woon. 

